Information for Study Participants

GAD in New Onset Type 1 Diabetes

Status:No Longer Recruiting

Study Findings

GAD-Alum vaccination fails to slow progression of type 1 diabetes

The GAD-Alum study included 146 people, ages 3-45, with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. One year of treatment with GAD, alone and in combination with alum (a chemical compound), showed no evidence of preserving insulin production or controlling the immune response. The rate of decline in insulin production was the same in the GAD-treated groups as the placebo group.

Interestingly, other research conducted during the course of this same study revealed that GAD-treated patients showed some T-cell response. T cells, specialized white blood cells, are responsible for much of the damage to the insulin-producing beta cells in type 1 diabetes. This is the first time that T-cell responses were seen in an intervention trial using a diabetes autoantigen. This reminds us that in every study something is learned that will eventually help researchers.

Study results were presented at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in San Diego in June 2011 and published in the June 27, 2011 edition of The Lancet.

TrialNet is a network of 21 Clinical Centers working in cooperation with screening sites throughout the United States, Canada, Finland, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. This network is dedicated to the study, prevention, and early treatment of type 1 diabetes. Learn More >